Today was one of those busy, exhausting days where I felt like I got nothing done. Finally at 5:15 I told myself that I must prepare the counters for my next pair of boots before I could go home so at least I’d feel like I’d done one thing.

The counter (I think they call it a heel puff in Europe — they don’t use the word counter) is a stiff piece inside the heel area of a boot or shoe. It supports the heel area of the shoe and also holds the wearer’s heel in place. A cowboy boot counter is very thick; it’s made from the same leather and thickness of leather as the sole. It’s skived, or thinned, around the edges either on a skiving machine in one’s shop or they can be purchased pre-skived.

Unfortunately that’s not the end though. You must also take the skived counter to a finisher (sander) and smooth and even out the skive. I don’t enjoy making counters, probably because when I worked for Jay Griffith some days when I had nothing else to do I’d go prepare dozens of counters. It doesn’t take long to do one pair though and now when I arrive tomorrow I’ll have all the pieces ready that I need to begin putting a pair of boots together.